With vulnerability, we allow others to know us, and given that opportunity, we then place a higher stake in what those may have to say upon us in character or actions. What could once be brushed off with a “they know too little for a true judgement of me”, shapes itself into something far more terrifying, that they know or have been given enough of me to make a ‘true’ judgement of me. Then, why be vulnerable? Well, in their ‘true’ judgement, one can then accept the love given, as it is now ‘deserved’ in the eyes of the vulnerable, what was once a “oh they say they love me… they know too little to be so sure”, is now a real and tangible extrapolation of self in that the love is hence justified toward whatever character flaws and past one holds. In both contexts, the external has a ‘better’ bearing of one’s persona and as such that one accepts their word upon themselves for it. Thus, it is scary to be vulnerable for as we allow for a deeper and greater love to form, we also risk a greater and deeper anger, frustration, sadness, apathy, and so on. As the potential for one grows, so does the potential for all else. It is then to realise that your persona can change in an instant, and that the most up to date knowledge of such persona exists with the vessel of that persona (you), and as such even in vulnerable states, the external knows a part of the past version, and is still to get the opportunity to learn of the new changes to this persona.
Meditate.